Two for two!

I was two for two in my picks for today's NFL Conference Championship games. I have to believe even my scenarios worked out.


New Orleans at Chicago
My Pick: Chicago
Winner: Chicago

My earlier comments: "I think the battle ground of Soldier Field will be too much for the Saints - despite Bears QB Rex Grossman's likely attempts to throw the game away."

The game: The cold and snow at Soldier Field threw off the Saints much vaunted offense. They committed three fumbles and never looked comfortable. As for Rex Grossman, he went an anemic 11 for 26 for only 144 yards in the game. He missed a lot of opportunities, including three deep drives that resulted in only field goals in the first half. The defense won this game for them, not Grossman!

New England at Indianapolis

My Pick: Indianapolis

Winner: Indianapolis

My earlier comments: "Colts QB Payton Manning is too good not to finally step up to the plate in a playoff game."

The game: After a slow start Payton Manning caught fire in the second half throwing for a total of 349 yards and a touchdown.

In saying all of this, my preseason pick to win the Super Bowl, the New England Patriots, bowed out on Sunday with their loss to the Colts. They gave it a good run. I tip my cap to them. Not too many people thought they'd even make it this far!

Stay tuned for my Super Bowl pick!

Top of the standings at the All-Star Break

With their 4-0 win in the battle of Alberta last night, my Calgary Flames are tied for the top of the NHL's Northwest Division heading in to the All-Star Break.



They're 7-3-o in their last ten games, and keep in mind, they've been without superstar forward Jerome Iginla for most of January.

Go Flames Go!

The Conference Championships

After a fairly successful predictive week in last week's NFL Playoffs, I'm going to try again this week. The same as last week, I'm making both my pick and stating who my heart wants to win.

New Orleans at Chicago
My Pick: Chicago (24-20)
My Heart Wants: New Orleans

I've always had a soft spot for the New Orleans Saints. Given that, and all that city has gone through over the past few years, it would be great to see them pull it off. Unfortunately, I think the battle ground of Soldier Field will be too much for the Saints - despite Bears QB Rex Grossman's likely attempts to throw the game away.

New England at Indianapolis
My Pick: Indianapolis
My Heart Wants: Indianapolis

Colts QB Payton Manning is too good not to finally step up to the plate in a playoff game. He'll win this one for them, along with a continued solid performance from the Colts defense. I like Tom Brady, I like the Patriots, but I hope for Manning that he can finally live up to his promise and take the Colts all the way.

3.5 out of 4 in this week's NFL playoffs (well 3 for sure!)

I was 3.5 out of 4 with my picks in this weekend's NFL playoffs. Lets look at the rundown.

Indianapolis at Baltimore
My Pick: Indianapolis
Winner: Indianapolis

Philadelphia at New Orleans
My Pick: New Orleans
Winner: New Orleans

Seattle at Chicago
My Pick: Chicago
Winner: Chicago

New England at San Diego
My Pick: San Diego
Winner: New England

So that would make it seem I'm only 3 out of 4. Where does 3.5 come from you might ask?

At the start of the year, I picked the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl. Although I didn't pick them to win this week, they're still in the running to win it all. That's got to be worth 0.5, right? Maybe I'm giving myself too much credit here, but it's my blog so I'll take that extra 0.5!

As a side note, I wanted to commend the work done this year by my Seattle Seahawks. It's been a tough season, riddled with injuries, but they fought all the way. They could have, and some will argue should have, won the game today in Chicago. It's impressive enough they were able to compete given all they've been through. They'll be back next year, and they'll be healthy. Watch out!

My weekend NFL Playoff predictions

Four games going this weekend in the NFL Playoffs, here are my predictions (and who my heart wants to win!)

Indianapolis at Baltimore

My Pick: Indianapolis (Score: 24-13)
My Heart Wants: Indianapolis

Philadelphia at New Orleans

My Pick: New Orleans (Score: 33-24)
My Heart Wants: New Orleans

Seattle at Chicago

My Pick: Chicago (Score: 17-6)
My Heart Wants: Seattle

New England at San Diego

My Pick: San Diego (Score: 27-17)
My Heart Wants: New England

The season is half over - let's talk hockey...

As many readers of my blog know, I have been fairly focused on the NFL as playoff scenarios come in to place and the lead up to the Super Bowl begins. But I know many of you, like me, also have a passion for hockey, so here's my musing on the two teams you're thinking most about right now...the Vancouver Canucks and my Calgary Flames.

The Vancouver Canucks are playing well right now, there's certainly no doubt about that. Heck, they've won six-straight games. They've beaten my beloved Calgary Flames three times in the last month and have pulled in to a one point lead in the division.

Will it hold? Only as long as superstar goalie Roberto Luongo keeps on rolling. In their six game winning streak, he's only given up more than two goals on one occasion. To show you Luongo's importance to his team, the Canucks have failed to win a game so far this season without Luongo between the pipes.

As for my Calgary Flames, they are only one point behind the 1st place Canucks and have two games in hand. Add that to the horrible start the Flames had where they lost 9 of their first 12, and it shows that they've really come a long way in the last 30-games.

Where will we end up at season end? My Flames will be challenging for 1st place in the tight Northwest Division where all five teams are currently within five points of each other. Will the Canucks be there too? I have to think they're going to start falling off once Luongo cools off. The lack of depth on their blue line and their lack of skilled scorers will show through.

I look forward to the upcoming onslaught of comments from Canucks fans...

How 'bout them Cowboys?

Seattle Seahawks 21 - Dallas Cowboys 20

A 19-yard field goal was all that stood in the way of the Dallas Cowboys taking a 2-point lead with only 1:19 left in Saturday's Wild Card playoff game against my Seattle Seahawks. After the automatic chipshot, the Seahawks would get the ball back needing to drive for a game winning field goal with no timeouts left to stop the clock. Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, overrated quarterback Tony Romo couldn't hold on to the ball off the snap and kicker Martin Gramatica never even made an attempt. The Seahawks took over on downs and ran out the clock to win the game.

It was a fast paced back and forth contest with action at both ends that included four-lead changes from start to finish. Most of the action took place on 4th-down, with both teams making gutsy calls to try and get some extra points on the board. But Tony, all you needed to do was hold on to the ball. That's the kind of play that will haunt a man.

Romo stated off the year as the back-up to veteren quarterback Drew Bledsoe. After Bledsoe was used as a scapegoat by fans in Dallas for a disappointing start to the season, Romo got the starters job. Although he played well early, he's struggled in later games. And tonight...well...the image speaks for itself.

As you can probably tell, I'm not a Cowboys fan, never have been. In fact, I'd rather see almost any other team win but the boys in blue. But to have my Seattle Seahawks as being the ones to knock them off makes it all the sweeter.

Go Hawks!

I was right - the Jets "massively improved"

Far be it from me to pat myself on the back...but I'm actually about to do so.

At the start of the NFL year, I made the following prediction about the NY Jets.

I like the look of the NY Jets this year - at least to massively improve on their 4-12 season in 2005. I strongly feel the key for the Jets is the health of their Quarterback Chad Pennington. Pennington has been much maligned by fans in recent years given his injury troubles and his apparent "lack of arm strength". I look at him another way. He's a proven winner that rarely makes mistakes. If she stays healthy, we're looking at an 8-8 Jets team, maybe even better.

The Jets finished the year at 10-6, capturing a post-season berth. Reading all the articles about the "surprise Jets" made me feel like all the experts missed something all year.

My key to the Jets season was the health of QB Chad Pennington. Today, he was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year.

As for the remainder of my predictions, I haven't been too far off.

I predicted the Kansas City Chiefs would suffer from injuries, and the Dallas Cowboys were not as good as many predicted. With records of 8-8 and 9-7 respectively, I have to say I think I wasn't far off the mark - despite both teams limping in to the playoffs.

I liked the Jacksonville Jaguars and predicted them to be a team on the rise. I think they showed strong signs, but injuries held them back from their full potential.

I predicted the Washington Redskins would have quarterback problems and suffer, and they did. Neither Mark Brunell nor Jason Campbell looked good this year.

I predicted the Seattle Seahawks would have a solid year, and despite injuries, they won their division.

We'll see if my early season Super Bowl winner prediction of the New England Patriots comes to pass. They look good, I just don't know if they can beat some of the other top teams at this point.

Thanks for putting up with my gloating.

P.S. - I also won my football pool this year.